The story of Hawaii’s “Big Five” companies (Alexander & Baldwin,
Amfac (American Factors), Castle & Cooke, C. Brewer & Co. and Theo. H
Davies & Co.) dominates the state’s economic history.
Their common trait: they were founded in agriculture - sugar and
pineapple.
Another Hawai‘i family and company, Dillingham, started business in the
late-1800s; although not a “Big Five,” deserves some attention.
It’s beginning, in part, is traced to O‘ahu Railway and Land
Company. They didn’t necessarily produce
agriculture, but they played a critical role in agricultural operations.
Benjamin Franklin (Frank) Dillingham formed OR&L (a narrow gauge
rail,) whose economic being was founded on the belief that O‘ahu would soon
host a major sugar industry.
In 1885, Dillingham embarked on a land development project west of
Honolulu and, like his continental counterparts, realized that this venture
would not succeed without improved transportation to the area. He also figured that a railroad needed to
carry freight, as well, in order to be profitable.
The drilling of the first artesian well on the Ewa Plain by James
Campbell in 1879 presented Dillingham another opportunity. He obtained 50-year leases beginning in 1887
from Campbell in Ewa.
In 1888, the legislature gave Dillingham an exclusive franchise “for
construction and operation on the Island of O‘ahu a steam railroad ... for the
carriage of passengers and freight.”
Ultimately OR&L sublet land, partnered on several sugar operations
and/or hauled cane from Ewa Plantation Company, Honolulu Sugar Company in
‘Aiea, O‘ahu Sugar in Waipahu, Waianae Sugar Company, Waialua Agriculture
Company and Kahuku Plantation Company, as well as pineapples for Dole.
Likewise, OR&L hauled various stages in the pineapple
harvesting/production, including the canning components, fresh pineapple to the
cannery, ending up hauling the cased products to the docks.
By 1895 the rail line reached Waianae.
It then rounded Kaena Point to Mokuleia, eventually extending to
Kahuku. Another line was constructed
through central O‘ahu to Wahiawa.
Passenger travel was an add-on opportunity that not only included train
rides, they also operated a bus system.
However, the hauling for the agricultural ventures was the most
lucrative.
They even included a “Kodak Camera Train” (associated with the Hula
Show) for Sunday trips to Haleiwa for picture-taking. During the war years, they served the
military.
Just like the rail programs on the continent, the railroad owned and
operated the Haleiwa Hotel and offered city folks a North Shore destination
with beaches, boating, golf, tennis and hunting.
In addition, OR&L (using another of its “land” components,) got
into land development. It developed
Hawai‘i’s first planned suburban development and held a contest, through the
newspaper, to name this new city.
The winner selected was “Pearl City” (the public also named the main
street, Lehua.)
The railway owned 2,200-acres in fee simple in the peninsula. First they laid-out and constructed the
improvements, then invited the public on a free ride to see the new residential
community.
The marketing went so well; ultimately, lots were auctioned off to the
highest bidder.
Multiple factors affected the ultimate demise of the rail operations:
sugar/pineapple production fizzled in the islands; more and more people were
getting automobiles for travel; a 1946 tsunami damaged tracks and the war’s end
stopped military travel.
The last ride on OR&L’s train operations was on December 31, 1947,
ending 58-years of steam locomotives hauling all kinds of people, freight and
other around O‘ahu.
The Dillinghams were out of transportation, but were active in
development, construction and dredging.
My father served as manager of the land department of OR&L
(1952-1961.) When OR&L and Hawaiian
Dredging and Construction Company merged to form the Dillingham Corporation, he
was manager and vice president at Dillingham until 1968. As a kid, I remember going down to the old
OR&L facility in Iwilei.
Hawaiian Railway Society is resurrecting railroading; they have a
facility in Kalaeloa and run a train out to Kahe Point on Sundays call: (808)
681-5461 for details.
The image shows the OR&L facility in Iwilei. I have also posted a folder of OR&L
images in a folder of like name in the Photos section of my Facebook page. (Information in this post taken, in part,
from “Next Stop Honolulu,” which is a good book on early-Hawai‘i rail.)
Peter,
ReplyDeleteMy mothers close friend was Ethel Holloway, Ben Dillingham's private secretary. She got our family on the last train ride. It went from the station to Waianae and back. Do you remember when that was?
Fritz Amtsberg
amtsbergf001@hawaii.rr.com